Author: Carolina Gomes

With the warmer months fast approaching, it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement. Planning barbeques, the weather getting warmer, and the flowers are beginning to bloom. But with the arrival of summer, also comes the arrival of the dreaded hay fever season.

What is hay fever? Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen that causes the immune system to react to something that isn’t harmful. The symptoms of hay fever are cased when the body releases too much histamine, causing the lungs, throat, nose and skin to inflame. In this blog article, we will discuss the range of hay fever treatments.

Tablets

Hay fever tablets, otherwise known as antihistamines, are divided into two categories: drowsy and non-drowsy.

Hay fever tablets work by blocking the chemical reaction known as histamine. Histamines are released once a foreign body is detected by the immune system to help fight off infections.

The hay fever symptoms that you get are caused by an allergic reaction, causing the immune system to react to something that isn’t harmful- like pollen. The body releases too much histamine, causing the lungs, throat, nose and skin to inflame, thus resulting in hay fever symptoms.

Due to the blocking of the histamine reaction, tablets are the most effective way to treat the harsher symptoms such as itchy skin, runny nose, scratchy throat and watery eyes.

Nasal spray

Nasal sprays are a great way to localise treatments for those with milder symptoms. They work by delivering a small dose of the medication to the lining of the nose, thus reducing inflammation.

Similar to tablets, some nasal sprays can cause drowsiness. However, nasal sprays can relieve symptoms quicker, due to the more direct application to the affected area.

Anti-itch cream

Anti - itch creams, unlike tablets and nasal sprays, not only stop the itching caused by pollen, but also act as a protectant against it.

Due to this, anti-itch creams can also be used to treat conditions like eczema which can result in dry, cracked and weeping skin.

Don’t let your symptoms ruin your summer, shop our range of hay fever treatments from stores you trust.